DHAKA, 30 July 2021, (TON): The government and the United Nations are close to finalising a protection policy for the Rohingya management in Bhasan Char, with a deal expected by the middle of next month.

The relocation of the 80,000 Rohingyas will start in October, said officials after a meeting on Wednesday between foreign ministry officials, led by Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, and a UN delegation, led by UN Resident Coordinator Mia Seppo.

Last month a committee was formed, headed by Disaster Management Secretary Md Mohsin, to draft the policy that would address issues such as shelter for the UN and other aid agencies, the voluntariness of the Rohingyas for relocation, transport modalities for aid workers, provision for Rohingyas to travel to Cox's Bazar.

The committee, which has already held two meetings with the UN representative, will hold another meeting next week.

Mohsin told media "we hope to finalise the policy in the next meeting and start the relocation after the monsoon."

So far, the government and the UN have agreed on education, livelihood, health and other protection issues for the Rohingyas.

However, some small issues need to be settled.

The UN wants to determine the voluntariness of the Rohingya relocation to Bhasan Char, an island in Noakhali, and the livelihood options available there.

"They say Bhasan Char is an isolated place and the Rohingyas need to be engaged in activities. Those activities must be robust. We said we also want the Rohingyas to be involved in some form of income-generating activities."

The government has already begun some projects to ensure livelihood for the Rohingyas.

The UN also has some issues regarding the residential arrangement for its and other aid agencies' staff.

DHAKA, 30 July 2021, (TON): As many as 62,583 Bangladeshis entered Europe irregularly using nine different routes in over a decade since 2009, Brac Migration Programme has revealed.

Referring to data of Frontex, the European border and coast guard agency, Brac said of the Bangladeshis, 37,198, the highest number, used the Central Mediterranean route.

Also, 17,639 Bangladeshis used Eastern Mediterranean routes (both sea and land), and another 857 used Western Mediterranean routes (both sea and land) to enter Europe between 2009 and May, 2021.

The other four routes are Western Balkan Route, Western African Route, Circular Route from Albania to Greece, and Eastern Borders Route.

Meanwhile, this year till June 30, Bangladesh as a country of origin topped the UNHCR chart in terms of the number of irregular migrations to Europe, with 3,332 arrivals.

Brac Migration Programme shared the grim picture of irregular migration yesterday in a presentation titled "Combating Human Trafficking and Irregular Migration: Situation Analysis, Challenges and Way Forward" during a webinar marking World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2021.

While Frontex identified nine routes for irregular migration to Europe, Brac Migration Programme Head Shariful Hasan said Brac in its own research has found 18 different routes by which Bangladeshis have migrated to Europe irregularly.

Two of such routes are Bangladesh-India-Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran-Turkey-Greece and Bangladesh-Dubai-Bahrain-Turkey-Libya-Italy.

KATHMANDU, 30 July 2021, (TON): The Indrawati III hydropower project, damaged by the floods in Melamchi and Indrawati Rivers, resumed power production after repair.

The 7.5 MW capacity project had received damage from the floods that occurred on June 15.

Project chief Manolak Shrestha said “four towers of the transmission line were pulled down by the flood in Melamchi River and the powerhouse was dented by the flood in Indrawati River. The dam at Tipeni was breached and the electric machine received huge damage.”

The project faced a loss of some Rs 25 million. Deputy Plant Manager at the project, Basanta Lal Karna, informed that with the disruption of power production for one and half months, a loss of Rs 55 million was recorded.

MALABO, 30 July 2021, (TON):  Six French soldiers were arrested in Bata airport, the economic capital of Equatorial Guinea , after their helicopter was forced sat down for refueling.

Colonel Pascal Ianni, spokesman for the French army headquarters, said “they sat down on We-dnesday at 14.15, because they ran out of fuel. Then a series of bureaucratic delays began. We are at the stage of negotiations (with the authorities – ed.), We encountered an incident that is already familiar to us. They are holding the helicopter and the crew.”  

He added that the crew is still awaiting take-off clearance.In turn, the State Television and Radio of Equatorial Guinea (TVGE) said that the helicopter without permission was in the airspace of the country and landed, thereby violating the border.

A French military source, meanwhile, told the agency that the military “had all the necessary permits,” but that “coordination problems with the airport” and the dispatcher often arise.

A French military spokesman denied that the case could be related to “espionage” by France.

According to the agency’s data, an unarmed Fennec helicopter was detained, it provided a logistic connection between the Cameroonian city of Douala and the capital of Gabon, Libreville, where the French military base is located.

NAYPYITAW, 30 July 2021, (TON): Locals found the bodies of eight men in two locations in the forest surrounding Zee Pin Twin village in Sagaing Region’s Kani Township.

The discovery followed a clash between the junta’s armed forces and the local People’s Defence Force (PDF) near the village on the previous evening in which a number of villagers and PDF soldiers went missing.

In the locals’ search for the missing people, they initially discovered seven bodies, including some buried together in a fresh grave.

A villager who was on the search team, said “we found four bodies in a hole and three on the ground, so it was seven in total.”

Of the three men who were not buried, one was found hanging from a tree.

The deceased included two elderly men, one man with a disability, and four men between the ages of 18 and 30.

Locals noted that wounds and disfigurement of all of the men’s bodies indicated that they had been subjected to torture.

“One didn’t even have eyes anymore. The others had injuries on their shoulders and chins,” the witness who helped with the exhumation said, describing bruising that looked like it had been inflicted with rifle butts.

DHAKA, 30 July 2021, (TON): Incessant rain caused by the low pressure in the Bay of Bengal has flooded several upazilas of Bagerhat district.

The floods have left around 50,000 families marooned and swept away shrimps and fishes from 5,000 enclosures.

Several unpaved roads of different areas, including Bagerhat municipality and sadar upazila, were also submerged in the rain. Vegetables have also been severely damaged.

Bagerhat Deputy Commissioner (DC) Muhammad Azizur Rahman said “the ceaseless rains had inundated several areas in Sarankhola, Morrelganj, Rampal, Mongla and Sadar upazilas.”

Khokon of Rampal upazila said "our house and fish enclosures have been flooded due to the rain. Vegetables have also been severely damaged.”

Shariful Islam of the same upazila said “many houses in our area have been submerged due to continuous rainfall. Many trees have been uprooted.”

“We have started distributing dry food and food items among the waterlogged families. Upazila Nirbahi officials have been directed to provide all kinds of assistance to the flood-hit families” says DC Muhammad Azizur Rahman.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Sarankhola Khatune Jannat distributed dry food among the waterlogged people in the upazila.

She said local people's representatives had been asked to take necessary steps to drain the water in the locality.

By TON Research Section

Recently, in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference leadership has expressed abysmal concern over the Indian policy of colonialism calling it shameless violations of the United Nations Security Council resolutions, which visibly describe Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed land. According to Kashmir Media Service, the APHC General Secretary, in a statement issued in Srinagar, termed the issuance of the domicile certificates to the non-state subject spouses as a brazen plot of implementation of the new set of laws to change the demography of the disputed territory.

He said that India as an aggressor has traversed all limits of illegitimate domination which had never been accepted by the freedom-loving people of Kashmir.The APHC leader pressed the United Nations Secretary General, to take serious acquaintance of the Indian state terrorism and its propelling designs in the disputed territory. On the other hand, he further said that the Indian media report claims of killing 36 persons killed in the month of June and July in Kashmir by Indian troops is a pack of lies, instead the troops martyred 42 Kashmiris and wants to hood wink the international community by hiding the actual figures of their brutal killings. In the meantime, Indian troops have launched a cordon and search operation in Akhnoor area of Jammu.

In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference has warned that the current Indian fascist regime has chalk out a long-term policy to kill the Kashmiri people one by one to change the demography structure of the disputed territory. The APHC Working Vice Chairman, in a statement in Srinagar strongly condemned the relentless cordon and search operations and said that the Indian occupational forces did not spare Kashmiris even during the sacred days of Eid-ul-Azha.

He paid rich tributes to the last week's martyrs and deplored that India is using its military power in an uncivilized way to quash the Kashmiris. He added that New Delhi had absolutely unsuccessful in its despicable designs in Indian occupied Kashmir. The APHC leader said the horrible situation created by the presence of one million Indian occupational forces requires immediate intervention by the UN chief, to stop the genocide of innocent Kashmiris in the territory and arrange a free and fair plebiscite to resolve the Kashmir dispute according to their true wishes and aspirations of the people of Kashmir.

While director General of Police of Jammu and Kashmir said the efforts of the police force to combat militancy in Jammu and Kashmir have carried out a large number of operations and 83 terrorists have been killed during the operations this year. Moreover, massive cordon and search operations continued in Bandipore district and Indian troops had further martyred three youths in the area on last Saturday. In Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K), by the call of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) complete shutdown was observed on the visit of Indian President to the territory, on Tuesday.

The APHC Spokesman in a statement said that the visit was tantamount to add injury to insult and rub salt on the bleeding wounds of Kashmiris, who are under the worst kind of military siege, especially since 5th August 2019. He said ruthless genocide, custodial killings, random imprisonments, indescribable carnages, loot, plunder; wrecking residential houses and recurrent cordon and search operations with impunity have become a persistent policy of Indian government in the territory. He said in this gruesome situation, any visit of an Indian dignitary meant to support the reign of terror of its forces to tighten inhumane military siege and inflict bloodshed and havoc on the freedom-loving people.

The APHC spokesman said that the Indian president as head of Indian armed forces, involved in massacring Kashmiri youth with impunity, was on a military mission to mingle with the forces’ personnel and devise the strategy on how to intensify killings and brutalities in the territory. Keeping in view the above-mentioned facts, it is the prime responsibility of the United Nations Council for Human Rights and other global human rights organizations to prevent India from committing genocide of Kashmiris and play their active role in resolving the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.

RIYADH, 29 July 2021, (TON): The Arab coalition said on Wednesday that Saudi air defenses intercepted a drone launched by Yemen’s Houthi militia toward Saudi Arabia.

The coalition said the Iran-backed Houthis continue attempts to deliberately target civilians and civilian objects in the Kingdom.

The coalition said it intercepted and destroyed four ballistic missiles and two explosive-laded drones launched by the Houthi militia toward the Kingdom’s southern Jazan region.

NEW DELHI, 29 July 2021, (TON): The top diplomats of India and the United States pledged on Wednesday to expand their multilateral security partnership, underscoring the deepening of ties between the two countries concerned over China’s growing influence in the region.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met in New Delhi and sought to strengthen a regional front against Beijing’s assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific and their cooperation in Afghanistan.

They also lauded each country’s help in fighting the coronavirus and said their vaccine partnership is an effort to end the pandemic.

Blinken said at a joint news conference “there are few relationships in the world that are more vital than [the] one between the US and India. We are the world’s two leading democracies and our diversity fuels our national strength.”

Washington has made no secret of the US desire for India’s help in isolating China. The two countries have steadily ramped up their military relationship and signed a string of defence deals.

NEW YORK, 29 July 2021, (TON): The Security Council faced criticism from both the Israeli and Palestinian envoys to the UN.

Israel’s ambassador to the US and the UN, Gilad Erdan, slammed council members for spending time discussing the situation in East Jerusalem. Instead, he said, Iran and the crises it is provoking in the region, in places such as Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq, should be the focus of attention, along with the activities of Hamas.

He said “hamas and Iran are fighting to keep the Middle East stuck in Middle Ages darkness.”

He was speaking during a meeting of the Security Council to discuss the humanitarian response and reconstruction efforts following the war in Gaza in May, the continuing evictions of Palestinian families and demolitions of their homes in East Jerusalem, and the violent response by Palestinian security forces to protests against corruption and the death last month of political activist Nizar Banat during his arrest by Palestinian security forces.

“Shouldn’t the crisis in Lebanon be discussed today?” Erdan asked the 15-member council.

He accused the UN of bias against Israel, and criticized the council for inviting Yudith Oppenheimer to give a briefing. She is the executive director of Ir Amim, an Israeli non-governmental organization (NGO) that campaigns to make Jerusalem a safe and inclusive city for all its residents.

Vermont-based brand Ben and Jerry’s, which is owned by Unilever, announced last week that it will no longer sell its products in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, saying that to do so would be “inconsistent with our values.”

Erdan said that last year’s Abraham Accords, the agreements by the UAE and Bahrain to normalize relations with Israel, prove that peace is only possible when parties come together to build a better future for their children, “not through boycotts or by the Security Council interfering.” The accords might have been possible only because the council did not interfere, he added.

The Security Council also came in for criticism from Riad Mansour, Palestine’s permanent observer to the UN, over what he called “its limitations in times of aggression and war.” Such failures mean the council has “an even greater duty to actively pursue peace,” he added.